1styr/1stsem

Mathematics I
ASSIGNMENT II

PROJECTILIES

Menuka Suwinda
HORIZON CAMPUS
BED #17
172021041
 Projectiles
Before we start this lesson, we should have knowledge about following
things.

Prerequisites.

1. What is a vector quantity?

The physical quantities which have magnitude(value), direction & units
we called as vector quantities.
Example: - displacement, velocity, acceleration, force

2. What is a Scalar quantity?

The physical quantities which have only magnitude(value) & units we
called as scalar quantities.
Example: - distance, speed, work done, energy

3. Motion under constant acceleration (vertically & horizontally) and motion

equations (under constant acceleration).

𝟏
• s = ut + at2
𝟐
• v = u + at
• v2 = u2 + 2as
𝒖+𝒗
• s = ( ) t
𝟐
𝟏
• s = vt - at2
𝟐

Where,
s – displacement,
u – initial velocity,
v – final velocity,
a – acceleration,
t – time

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 4. Resolving Vectors
Any vector directed at an angle to the horizontal (or the vertical) can be
thought of as having two parts (or components) that lie on the axes (one
horizontal and one vertical). The process of identifying these two components is
known as the resolution of the vector. For example, the vector (a) shown below
can be written as the sum of a horizontal vector (y) and a vertical vector (x).

The separate vectors that the original is resolved into are called components–
in the above example, (y)is the horizontal component of (a) and (x) is the
vertical component of (a).

Calculating components

To find the components of a vector in a pair of perpendicular directions, we will

be using a right-angled triangle.

• Take the vector as the hypotenuse of the triangle

• Take the directions you want to resolve in as the other two sides
• Use trigonometry to work out the size of the components.

In above example,

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 𝑦
Sin (b) = , therefore y = a Sin (b)
𝑎
𝑥
Cos (b) = , therefore x = a Cos (b)
𝑎

In practical problems, the two directions are usually horizontally and

vertically, or if an inclined plane is involved, along and perpendicular to the
plane.

Example –

1. Bill travels 10km North-east and then 12km due East

(a) Draw a vector diagram showing Bill’s route.

(b) Calculate, without the use of a scale diagram, Bill’s resultant displacement
in components East and North.

2. The diagram below shows a vector V and the line AB.

The angle between V and AB is 20o. Find the components of V parallel and
perpendicular to AB, given that the magnitude of V is 15.

A common mistake is to resolve correctly, but ignore the direction of the

component – for example, 6 units upwards is not the same as 6 units
downwards! To avoid confusion, decide at the beginning which direction to
take as positive.

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Projectiles-motion in two dimensions under gravity
If you throw an object inclined to an angle to horizontal, it follows a parabolic
path (shown below).

To deal with this situation, we consider the horizontal and vertical components
of the motion separately. Again, we assume that air resistance can be
neglected

• horizontally, there is no resultant force on the object, so its velocity is

constant (and there is no acceleration)
• vertically, gravity is the only resultant force. So, its acceleration is g
downwards

As shown in the above figure, a ball projected with “u” initial velocity and at an
angle “a” to the horizontal.

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 1. Initial vertical component of velocity is “u Sin(a)”. Initial horizontal
component of velocity is “u Cos(a)”.
2. For the whole motion the horizontal component is not changing at all, due
to there is no acceleration act horizontally.
3. Vertical velocity component will reduce until maximum height (h) due to
gravitational acceleration act vertically downwards.
4. When the ball reaches maximum height of h, its vertical velocity
component is equal to 0 ms-1.
5. And then ball changes the direction of motion (which is vertically
downwards) and increase its vertical velocity component (vertically
downwards its increasing).
6. The ‘R’ represents the horizontal range of the motion.
7. When it returns to the ground the vertical component of displacement
is equal 0 m.
8. The horizontal acceleration always 0 ms-2. And vertical acceleration
always 9.81 ms-2 vertically downwards.
9. Since we have to deal with vectors you must carefully use direction
signs.

This simulator will give you an idea of the projectiles clearly.

Projectile Motion (colorado.edu)

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 Example

1. A vase is thrown out of a first-floor window, which is 5 m above the

ground, with a horizontal velocity of 4ms-1. Taking g = 9.81 ms-2.
Find:
a) The time taken for the vase to hit the ground
b) The horizontal distance it travels.
c) Its speed as it hits the ground.

2. A ball is thrown from ground level with a speed of 20 ms-1 at an angle of

30o to the horizontal. Taking g = 9.81 ms-2,
Find:
a) The greatest height it reaches.
b) The time taken for the ball to return to ground level.
c) The horizontal distance the ball travels in this time.

3. A ball is thrown from ground level with a speed of 28.2 ms-1 at an angle of
45o to the horizontal. Taking g = 9.81ms-2,
Find:
a) The time it takes to reach its greatest height.
b) The time taken to travel a horizontal distance of 30m.

4. A girl attempting to throw a ball across her bedroom onto a shelf. The
shelf is 2m above floor level and the horizontal distance from the girl to
shelf is 5m.
The girl throws the ball with speed ’u’ ms-1 at an angle of 300 to the
horizontal. It lands on the nearest edge of shelf.
5
a) Show the time of flight of the ball is .
𝑢 𝑐𝑜𝑠30
b) Find the value of u.

5. A stone is thrown with a speed of 20 ms-1 at an angle of 400 to the

horizontal. Five meters from the point from which it is projected there is
a wall of height 4 meters.
Determine whether the stone will hit the wall.

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 Important, derived equations for projectiles
Assume an object has projected to an angle of θ to the horizontal, its initial
velocity is u ms-1 and gravitational acceleration is g ms-2.

1. Time taken to reach maximum height (t1)

v = u + at
0 = u sin θ + (-g) t1
gt1 = u sin θ
𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽
t1 = s
𝒈

2. Total time taken for flight (T or t1+t2)

1
s = ut + at2
2
1
0 = u sin θ x T - gT2
2
1
0 = T (u sin θ - g T)
2
1
T = 0 s and u sin θ - gT=0
2
(T = 0, when the object has just started its motion)
1
∴ u sin θ = gT
2
𝟐𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽
T= s
𝒈
According to above equations we can easily derive an equation for t2
T = t1 + t2
t2 = T – t1
𝟐𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽 𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽 𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽
t2 = − = s
𝒈 𝒈 𝒈

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 3. Maximum height (h)
v2 = u2+ 2as
at maximum height v = 0 ms -1

0 = u2sin 2 θ + 2 x (-g) x h
2gh = u2sin 2 θ
𝒖𝟐 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝟐 𝜽
h = m
𝟐𝒈

4. Range of flight (R)

Here we use above derived equation for total time taken for flight
2𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
(T = s)
𝑔
1
s = ut + + at2 (horizontally no acceleration acting on the object)
2
2𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃
R = u cos θ x
𝑔
𝟐𝒖𝟐 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝜽𝒄𝒐𝒔 𝜽
R = m
𝒈
According to trigonometry 2sinθcosθ = Sin 2 θ
𝒖𝟐 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝟐𝜽
∴ R = m
𝒈
5. Maximum range for given initial velocity. (Initial velocity, gravitational
acceleration are constants)

𝒖𝟐 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝟐𝜽
R =
𝒈

Here u and g are constants. So, the range is depending only on angle of
projection (θ).

And also, according to the above equation we have to see how sin values of
an angle varies with angle value.

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since projectile is a practical situation, we have to select maximum values for
𝜋
angle of projection from 0 0 degrees (0 rad) to 90 0 degrees ( rad).
2
∴ sinx maximum value = 1
At that time x = 90 0
∴ sin 2 θ = sin 90 0
∴ 2 θ = 90 0
θ = 45 0
∴ If the angle of projection is 45 0, it will have the maximum range for
given initial velocity.

𝟐𝒖𝟐 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝟒𝟓𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟒𝟓
R max =
𝒈
𝒖𝟐
R max =
𝒈

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Exercise: -
1. A slate is projected horizontally from a building roof, which is 6.5m above
the ground. It hits the ground after travelling a horizontal displacement
4.2m from where it was projected. Calculate or find:
a) The time that the slate is in flight.
b) The horizontal velocity that the slate is projected with

2. A stunt motorcyclist attempts to jump a river which is 5.1m wide. The bank
from which he will take-off is 2m higher than the bank on which he will
land, as shown below

Calculate the minimum horizontal speed he must achieve before take-off

to avoid landing in the river.

3. A stone is thrown horizontally with a speed of 12ms-1 over the edge of a

vertical cliff. It hits the sea at a horizontal distance of 60m out from the
base of the cliff

Calculate the height from which the stone was projected above the level
of the sea.

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 4.

5. A body placed at the foot of a long smooth plane inclined at an angle 𝜶 to

the horizontal is projected upwards with a velocity u inclined at an angle
θ (> 𝜶) to the horizontal. Show that the distance along the plane from the
foot of the plane to the point where the projected body falls on the plane
𝟐𝒖𝟐 𝒔𝒊𝒏(𝜽− 𝜶)𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽
is given by R =
𝒈𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟐 𝜶

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